Mr. Gemini: The Zodiac Series, #3

By Cora Kaine

It started with a silly bachelorette party game…

It’s called the Name Game. Although Meg is usually a shy and laid-back office worker, tonight she is Griffin, a sexy artist out clubbing with friends. The goal is to get as many phone numbers as possible, and the competition is fierce. However, when she meets James Krane, any thoughts of the game, or her best friend’s bachelorette party, are out of her mind completely.

What Meg doesn’t know is that James overheard the rules of the Name Game. He knows “Griffin” isn’t at all that she seems - but James isn’t either. His day job happens to be one of the country’s most popular romance authors, and he sees Meg as a great source of inspiration to battle his current bout of writer’s block.



The Zodiac Series is a series of loosely connected novellas that can be read in any order. Each leading man encapsulates the personality traits of his zodiac sign.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cora Kaine
• Release date: May 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386013907

Book preview

Gemini

Gemini is the sign of The Twins.  A Gemini man will reflect this sign with his dual personality.  He is a cool, calm gentleman, but he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.  Gemini is intellectual and charming, and he’s always ready to try something new in the bedroom.  However, be careful when dealing with a Gemini - he will not fall in love easily.  When this artistic man does love, though, it will be deep and passionate.

Your Fortune

A trip outside of your shell is just what you need to coax true love out of its own shell.  You must look past the exterior and reach out to that which lies within.

Chapter 1

The sound inside the club hit me like a physical wave, stopping me in my tracks until I could readjust myself.  The heels I had been forced to wear that night weren’t helping my balance, either.  I frowned.

I felt a thin arm slink around my shoulders. 

You’re making that face!  You’re not allowed to make that face tonight!

Like flipping a switch, I forced a big, fake smile for Amy.  I had promised her over and over again that I was going to have fun tonight.  Although the fun may not have been genuine, I was determined to fake my way through the entire bachelorette party just for her.  That’s what best friends were for, after all.

A waiter led us around the edge of the club, past the other booths and tables.  We were a parade of six girls, all dolled up and wearing ridiculous dresses.  From my place as the caboose of the group, I could see the other girls standing up straighter, letting their hips sway back and forth just a bit more as we were led through the club to our table.  We were commanding some attention from the men around us.  I was the only girl to turn my gaze to the floor and pull my bag up closer to myself.  I tried to avoid eye contact with anyone.  How embarrassing.

We arrived at our VIP booth.  It was a semi-circle of cream leather with a table in the center.  There was a heavy white curtain that we could close around us for some privacy.  If it weren’t for all the people and the loud music, this place would have been cozy.  The other girls - Amy and her friends and sister - all slipped into the booth gracefully despite their short skirts, tight dresses, and towering heels.  I tried to do my best in sitting down like a lady, but I couldn’t help but feel awkward.  Amy gave me a reassuring smile, and I made sure that I had my happy face on.

The waiter was an adorable blond with a dimpled smile that made my stomach flip around.  The tight black shirt that he wore showed off his sculpted arms and pronounced chest.  I glanced around the table and could see that all the other girls had noticed our handsome host as well. 

The man cheerily took our orders, laying on the flirtation thick for us.  The girls were lapping it up, giggling and sending him sexy glances.  I became more amused in watching them than I was in checking out the hot guy waiting on us.

Amy’s older sister Jenn ordered a round of strawberry margaritas and a round of shots for all of us, sending the waiter off with some flirty giggles. As soon as he had taken a few steps away, the girls erupted into a chatter about how cute he was and who had dibs on him. I listened with a smirk on my face. Maybe tonight would be fun after all, especially when I could spend my time observing these exuberant ladies.  I lacked a group of girlfriends of my own, so this was a rare opportunity that made me excited and nervous at the same time.

The drinks arrived, and the shots were passed around. I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for what I was about to do to my body. Jenn held up her shot glass, and the rest of us followed suit.

Congratulations, Amy, Jenn spoke with a proud smile. I can’t believe you’re already getting married. And before me! Who would’ve guessed that? I won’t hold it against you, though. So, here’s to a happy marriage for you and Tim. I’m sure he’ll make you very happy. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to answer to your big sister!

We all giggled.

Now, let’s make your last night of being single unforgettable!

Our shot glasses clinked together. The rest of us added in our congratulations, Amy or simple woo’s before raising the glasses to our lips. I downed the liquor in one gulp, and then immediately regretted it. I wasn’t much of a drinker, so it felt like I had swallowed a ball of fire. Luckily, my coughing got drowned out by the sounds of the other girls wooing and cheering. I just managed to recover before anyone noticed my weakness.

Okay, Amy, are you ready for your sash? one of the girls, Alex, asked with a wide grin.

The rest of the girls giggled as Alex pulled out a few things from her giant purse. She handed over the bright pink sash with the words bride to be written in a frilly font across it. To go with this, there was also a sparkly tiara, of course, which was immediately placed on Amy’s head.

Wow! Amy said.

After knowing her for so long, I knew this wasn’t really her style either. However, she was doing her best to look enthused for her friends and sister. They didn’t seem to know the difference. Amy was always such a good sport anyway.

So, what bachelorette party game should we play first? Alex asked. She seemed to be very into this whole thing, leaning forward with shining eyes and a mischievous grin.

Game? Amy asked with an intrigued grin.

I knew that look. Amy was always ready to take a silly game a little too seriously. She was the competitive type, and it manifested itself in different ways – the high school track team, getting into the best college she could, innocent games of monopoly, and apparently bachelorette party games.

Yeah, remember? Alex said. We played them at my bachelorette party.

"Yeah, right, Tanya said with a laugh. I’m pretty sure nobody remembers anything about your bachelorette party after how much we all drank."

I raised my eyebrows. Aside from her older sister Jenn, all the other girls were Amy’s friends from college. I was the only high school friend in the bunch tonight. So, I wasn’t a part of all their shared memories. Still, I joined in with the laughter, trying not to feel too left out.

You’re the one who came up with all those games, Alex, Jana said. Don’t you have any more?

The smile on Alex’s face made it clear that she had quite a few games in mind, actually. I sipped my margarita and waited for whatever nonsense was to come.

Well, there’s the Name Game.

What’s that? Amy asked curiously. She already seemed eager to start.

For the rest of the night, you have to give out a fake name to every cute guy you meet. The girls who get the most phone numbers using an alias wins.

There were both groans in giggles from the girls. I was one of the groaners. It was pretty clear that I didn’t quite fit in amongst this group. I wasn’t the type to go to bars or to hit on men. However, I had agreed to try to get out of my shell a little bit for Amy. She had really wanted me to come, and I have been her best friend since elementary school, so I was ready to fake my enthusiasm for the rest of the night. Even if it included silly games.

I don’t know, Amy said. I’m not sure if everyone would be into that kind of thing.

I set down my strawberry margarita and noticed that I was getting sideways glances from everyone at the table. I was confused for a moment until the situation registered in my mind.

Oh... Are you talking about me? I asked Amy. All these girls I didn’t know well but who were all best friends seemed to be staring me down. I was the outsider, just like always. But tonight, I didn’t want to be. I’m totally up for it! In fact, let’s make it even more of a challenge. How about a new alias for each and every guy. And I mean new name, new job, new hobbies, everything!"

I wasn’t sure why I was committing to this so hard. However I couldn’t deny the feeling of satisfaction as I saw